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There comes a point in any new relationship when it is time to meet the in-laws, and for Prince Harry, it seems, that moment has already happened.

The Prince has already met his girlfriend Meghan Markle's father Thomas, who is said to be "extremely proud" of his daughter.

The Prince, 32, met Thomas Markle, 72, during one of his visits to Toronto, where Miss Markle, an actress, lives and works. Her half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr, said the couple were "very much in love", adding: "They're extremely happy together, they look great together and she's done good." Thomas Jr said his father met the Prince six months ago, before the couple's relationship was public knowledge.

He told Mail Online: "He's pretty happy about Harry and he's extremely proud of her. They have an amazing relationship, they're very close and they always have been."

Thomas Sr, a lighting director who worked on the TV soap General Hospital, fathered Miss Markle during his second marriage, to Doria Ragland, 60, from whom he is now divorced. He had Thomas Jr by his first wife, Roslyn.

Thomas Jr, who at 50 is 15 years older than his half-sister, said: "She's very much in love and she's obviously happy because if she wasn't happy, she wouldn't be there."

"So she is happy and [the relationship is] taking off, which is good, and I wish them all the best. I couldn't be happier for her.

"I think it is wonderful. As long as he takes care of and loves Meg, he doesn't have to do anything else ... he looks like a genuinely good man - and he was in the services as well. He looks happy, he looks like he's stress-free and like he could be a good guy for Meg."They get along and that's what matters ... Prince Harry is lucky.

"She's the right girl for the job [of being a princess]. It's not a job but she's the right girl. You couldn't get a more refined, well-rounded person than her. Look at them when they look at each other - they love each other. So it'll be great, it'll be royal. I just want her to be happy."

Thomas Jr, a window fitter who lives in Oregon, said Miss Markle had a happy childhood and coped well with her parents' divorce when she was just six.

He said he had not yet been introduced to the Prince. "I would like to shake his hand and meet him," he said.

The Prince has been dating the actress, who stars in the US drama series Suits, since last summer. Markle is thought to have stayed with him at his home in the grounds of Kensington Palace when she visited London at the end of last year.